


Rehabilitation

by BouncyOrb



Series: Persona 5 Groundhog Day AU [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, Groundhog Day AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-01-30 07:37:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21424594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BouncyOrb/pseuds/BouncyOrb
Summary: Akira has spent the last year of his life as a Phantom Thief, saving the world with his friends. What if he could do it again? And again? And again?
Series: Persona 5 Groundhog Day AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1567438
Kudos: 12





	1. Reawakening

Joker was finally happy. Very happy. The Metaverse was gone, but so was that malevolent god, and the people were free to decide their own fate. Driving down the highway, watching the ocean pass him by, and hearing his friends talk and laugh. It was everything he could ever ask for. He thought back to when this year started for him, finding Shido with that woman, being sent to Yongen-Jaya. Standing up in the back seat of the van, feeling the wind on his face, he closed his eyes and remembered that day. It was vivid. When he opened his eyes he could almost see it again, the train he took on his way to Yongen. In fact, when he blinked away his foggy vision, he actually could see it.

It was the train. The van was gone, his friends were gone, and he was on his way to Yongen-Jaya station. He stood up, not sure what he was going to do but he had to do something. He took out his phone. He knew it was gone, but he needed to see for himself. The MetaNav was still gone. He was relieved but only for a moment. The date. It was wrong. It was March. He was sure it was March. But his phone said April 9th. It really was that day, but it couldn’t be. It can’t be. Joker was panicking, but he had no choice but to go back to Yongen.

It was the same. The same people having the same conversations he remembered the first time. He made his way through the station, and then the Backstreets of Yongen. He kept trying to think of something, remember something Igor or Morgana said about something like this, but there was nothing. He couldn’t even ask him himself. He found Sojiro a lot faster than the first time, actually knowing his way around now. He walked into Lablanc and there he was. Futaba was nowhere to be seen.

“Oh…right.” he said, tossing his crossword puzzle onto the counter. “They did say that was today.”

“Sojiro!” Joker exclaimed. “What’s going on?”

“Excuse me?” he said. He turned to his customers still in their seats. “Please excuse him, I haven’t had the chance to teach him how to show some respect to his elders.”

The customers accepted his apology and left. Sojiro sat at the bar and gave Joker a look that he recognized as his “trying to intimidate him” look. It would’ve made him laugh if not for how scared he was.

“Where is everyone? How did I get back here?”

“I think maybe it has something to do with that man you attacked.”

“Shido?” Joker remembered again. That day would stay with him forever. “That was a year ago, and we already dealt with him, didn’t we?”

“Shido?” Sojiro lifted his head. “You don’t mean Masayoshi Shido, do you?”

“You know this already!” Joker shouted. He stareted breathing quickly, he was so scared and Sojiro didn’t know who he was. He decided he needed to do something risky.

“Are you going to be like this for the whole year? Because I’m not going to-”

“Futaba.”

“What did you just say?”

“Futaba. Your daughter, Futaba Sakura.”

Sojiro stood up. He gave Joker his “I’m going to kick your ass” look.

“How the hell do you know-”

“Wakaba Isshiki. Her cognitive psience research. Shido stole it, and he’s using it to take over the country.”

Sojiro didn’t say anything for a long while, longer tham Joker was hoping for. He sat back down and poured himself a cup of coffee. Joker didn’t move an inch.

“Why don’t you remember?”

“You think I don’t remember the best woman I ever knew?”

“Not her. Me. The Metaverse. The Phantom Thieves.”

“Phantom Thieves? Kid are you on something, because if I find out-”

“Would drugs let me know about Futaba? Or her mom? Or what about her uncle that’s been hounding you for cash recently?” Joker was starting to get mad himself. “Why don’t you remember?”

Sojiro stood up. It was the final straw for him.

“Damn you, you stupid kid. Just don’t know when to shut up, do you?”

“Sojrio, please-”

“Shut up!” He snapped. “I don’t care what I said before, you aren’t welcome here!”

“Sojiro, I-”

“I don’t know how you found out about Futaba or anything else, but I don’t want anything to do with you! Get out!”

“So-”

“Now!”

Joker had no choice. Sojiro didn’t remember anything, and now he was pissed off. He left. Didn’t even apologize. With nowhere to go, and no money, Joker wandered Tokyo for a few days. He had no choice but to steal things like clothes and a charger for his phone. He thought of calling his parents. He didn’t want to go back to them a year from now, and he doesn’t want to now either. He kept checking for the Nav but it never showed up. If things were starting over somehow, then it should come back. That’s when he remembered, it only came back when he went to Shujin, when he met Ryuji and Ann and Kamoshida. This was good, as good as it gets for him, he had a plan now. Get to Shujin Academy, find Ryuji. He thought maybe once he got back to the Metaverse he could make them remember, or maybe he could get back to the end again. All he knew is that right now, he wanted to see his friends.

Tomorrow was the day he was supposed to start at Shujin. He should have met with Kobayakawa and Kawakami by now, but it was too late for that. Joker made his way to Shibuya Station Square, and picked out a spot that looked warm enough to stay the night. He’s glad Sojiro never kicked him out the first time. He took off his Jacket and layed it over himself as a blanket. He prayed that he would wake up back in that van with his friends, the cool ocean air on his face. He drifted off to sleep on the cold floor, listening to the sounds of Shibuya.

His eyes snapped open. He felt strange, like his body was asleep but his mind was awake. He sat up and heard a familiar sound, one that he grew to fear. Rattling chains. His clothes, the prisoner’s uniform. He stood up, and looked out of his cell at the man sitting behind the desk in the center of the small, blue room.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.”

“Igor!” Joker screamed and slammed on the door to his cell.

“Stand down, Inmate!” Caroline shouted back and smacked the door with her baton.

“What the hell is going on!?”

“This is the Velvet Room. You seem to know my name already.” Igor said. “Tell me, Trickster, what else do you know?”

“I know you’re-” he stopped. If this man was still the Holy Grail, still Yaldabaoth, he would simply kill him here and now before he knew Joker could stop him. “…you’re…going to rehabilitate me.”

“How intriguing.” Igor said. “I’ve never had an inmate who knew of this place before. Tell me how.”

“I…I honestly don’t know.” He could at least tell the truth then. “But I know how you help me. Fusing Personas, giving me the Third Eye.”

“Master,” Justine interrupted, “there I something you should see.” She walked over to Igor and showed him her clipboard. Igor hummed curiously at it, and waved her back to her post at his cell door.

“So, you have some knowledge of this place, and of the Metaverse. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“What of your persona? What do you know of him?”

He had to try not to show he knew too much, but he couldn’t play dumb h=from here on out.

“A…a thief. A Trickster, that’s what you called me, right?”

“Hmm.” Igor fidgeted with a pen on his desk. “You are indeed the Trickster, the Wildcard. You have the ability to hold many personas within you. And it seems, you already have.”

“What?”

“Here we have a registry for personas you have collected from the Metaverse.” Justine said. “It was to be prepared for your arrival, but it seems it is already filled with many personas that have been linked to you.”

“So, you got a leg up on us, Inmate?” Justine said. “How’d you manage that?”

“I…”

“You do not know.” Igor said. “This will be…more interesting than I thought.”

“What…what do I have to do?” Joker asked. Part of him was actually hoping for an answer.

“I am curious to see how far your natural instincts can take you. You already know of the Metaverse and of your persona, so I will leave you be for now. We will meet again when I feel you need my guidance again, Trickster.”

“You heard him, Inmate!” Justine shouted. “Back to your world! Don’t get yourself killed out there.”

Joker faded back into real life, waking up on the cold floor he fell asleep on last night. Even Igor didn’t remember. But he’s back. The Metaverse is back. Ruin is coming again. He didn’t know why he was here again, but he knew that he worked too hard to let him win even now. He got up and put his jacket on. He had to go to school today.


	2. New Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go as planned, but Joker knows what to do, where to go, and who to find.

At first, he dreaded it. Joker hated the idea of doing a whole year of school over again. Tests and studying and, worst of all, Kamoshida. But after he thought about it for a while on his way there, he figured it might not be so bad. He could probably remember a lot of the tests he took, and things like that. And this time he’s sure about Kamoshida from the start. He’ll be easier to deal with this time around. It should all be easier, actually, he knew all of the Phantom Thieves’ targets. Their palaces too. Maybe this isn’t all bad, he thought.

It started raining on his way there, just like last time. He found a small awning to stand under while he waited for the rain to let up. He wondered if he could use the Nav now, before he was supposed to. He checked his phone. Sure enough, it was there, creepy-looking as ever. Maybe he could just go to Kamoshida’s palace now. Save Shido, protect Mishima and…

Ann was there. He forgot this was the first time he saw her. How could he forget this, he thought. The way her hair fell when she pulled her hood back was mesmerizing. The first time, Joker thought she looked like she had something serious on her mind. Now he knew what that was. He wondered where Shiho was right now, she probably did too.

“Ann.” Joker said, without meaning to. She looked at him. He tried to think of what to say.

“Oh, you must be the new transfer student.” She held out her hand. “Yup, Ann Takamaki, that’s me.”

Joker shook her hand. She was smiling but he could tell it wasn’t real. Not like when she beat a group of shadows or when she was joking with the team in the hideout. He realized he was staring, then he realized he stared last time too.

“And… what’s your name?”

“Oh, Akira. Akira Kurusu.” This was good. He might be able to actually do things better this time. Save more people, and save them sooner. Kamoshida’s car pulled up. “Kamoshida.” Joker said with hate in his voice.

“You’re that new troublemaker, aren’t you?” He joked. “You better watch yourself at my school, haha.”

Joker didn’t respond, just stared daggers at him.

“You need a ride, Takamaki?”

“Um…” she hesitated. “Su-”

“No!” Joker interrupted. “She… I still don’t know the way to school. I was going to ask her to walk me there.”

Kamoshida looked over the strange boy.

“Alright. You better not make her late for class though.” Kamoshida rolled up his window and drove off.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Ann said. “I’m fine.”

“Ann, I need to-”

“Yeah! Get out of here, you pervy teacher!”

Joker almost jumped at the sudden shouting. But it was an all too familiar voice shouting towards Kamoshida’s car.

“Way to get him out of here, new kid.” Ryuji said, running up to the two. “You okay, Takamaki?”

“Yes, I am fine.” she answered more aggressively. “Sakamoto-kun can help you find the school, I have to go.”

“Ann wait.”

“Don’t be late for class.” she said as she walked away.

Joker forgot, they weren’t friends yet. She wouldn’t just listen to some stranger on the sidewalk. At least she wasn’t stuck in a car with that creep, he thought.

“Well, at least she’s not stuck in a car with that creep.” Ryuji said. “So what, you’re lost on the way to Shujin?”

“Um, yeah.” He needed to get his friends to trust him again. “Let’s walk together. Sakamoto, was it?”

“That’s me, alright. Don’t worry about getting lost, I’m the best with directions.”

They walked most of the way talking about the school. Joker tried his best to seem like he didn’t know anything, asking questions he knew the answers to. He could see the school from here. Joker’s phone beeped, the Nav was activating.

“What?” he said, pulling out his phone. “But I didn’t…”

“What’s that, a nav app?” Ryuji asked. “Well if you have that, you don’t need me to give you directions.”

“I guess not.” Joker couldn’t even use the screen, nothing was working.

“Hey man, thanks again for dealing with Kamoshida back there.”

“Candidate found.” The Nav said.

“Wait.” Joker tried turning off the phone, but the Nav was keeping it open somehow.

“I’ve been trying to keep him off the girls at Shujin whenever I can, but I can’t be everywhere at once y’know?”

“Candidate found.” The Nav said again. This was strange, was the Nav always like this? It’s like the it wanted to hear the codewords.

“But hey,” Ryuji went on, not noticing Joker struggling with his phone. “if you’re not afraid of him then maybe we can stop him acting like he’s king of the castle.”

“Damn it!” Joker said.

“Whoa, what now?” Ryuji said.

Joker felt it, that familiar, floaty feeling of entering the Metaverse. He looked to the school, now a castle in the distance. They weren’t ready yet, but they had to be now.

“You okay, man? You look like you saw a…” Ryuji looked to where Joker was looking. He saw the castle where Shujin should be. “Oh my god. Is this for-”

“Ryuji.” Joker grabbed him by the shoulders. “Did you mean what you said about stopping Kamoshida?”

“Dude, what’s going on? Where did that castle come from?”

“Ryuji.” Joker shook him just enough to keep his attention. “Do you want to fight Kamoshida?”

“Is… is he in that castle?”

Joker nodded.

“Is that castle… real?”

“Well, yes and no.” Joker said. “It’s real enough.”

Joker let him go, and Ryuji stared at the castle for a moment. His hands clenched into fists.

“So he really is some kinda king of the castle.”

“But we can stop him.” Joker said. “But first we need to find somebody in there. Somebody who can help us.”

“I’m confused as hell, man. But you sound like you know what’s happening around here.” Ryuji turned back to Joker. “I’ll follow you. Let’s get that bastard.”

“Hm.” Joker said, smiling. “”I knew you’d say something like that.”


End file.
